A CDE Definition

(IP SECurity) A security protocol from the IETF that provides authentication and encryption over the Internet. Unlike SSL, which provides services at layer 4 and secures two applications, IPsec works at layer 3 and secures everything in the network. Also unlike SSL, which is typically built into the Web browser, IPsec requires a client installation. IPsec can access both Web and non-Web applications, whereas SSL requires workarounds for non-Web access such as file sharing and backup.